Tutorials: Series W
Wednesday, March 6th, 2002

Two concurrent tutorials taught by nationally recognized quality experts. Each tutorial is a one full day of an in-depth instruction in a specific software quality topic.

Or PSQT/PSTT Conference Sessions

   Series M - Monday, March 4, 2002

   Series T - Tuesday, March 5, 2002

   Series H - Thursday, March 7, 2002

   Series F - Friday, March 8, 2002 

Tutorial #W1 (Wednesday 8:30 - 4:30 p.m.)

This tutorial counts as one day of training towards the Certified Software Test Professional requirements.

This one-day tutorial will provide a foundation for people who manage software development test efforts. It will describe a standards-based testing process that can be applied to any software development life-cycle. The steps required for preparing to test, executing tests, and evaluating the results of testing will be discussed in detail. Finally, some simple steps to follow to get started applying the principles covered in the tutorial will be provided.

Outline:

I. Introduction
- Definitions
- Experiences

II. The Testing Process
- Standards-Based
- Levels of Testing
- Test Products
- Risk Management

III. Test Preparation
- Test Planning
- Test Scheduling
- Resource Requirements

IV. Test Execution
- Test environment
- Test Supports
- Test Scripts

V. Test Evaluation
- Defect Tracking
- Test Reporting
- Process Measurements

VI. Conclusion
- Summary
- Action Plan

What attendees will learn:

- Why management of testing is important

- How to develop test plans and test cases that support meeting customer needs

- How to prepare for test execution

- How to evaluate the results of testing and the test process

- How to work and communicate effectively within the organization

- How to use testing to manage quality risk



About the Instructor:

Denis Meredith is an independent consultant, concentrating in the areas of Software Testing and Quality Assurance; Tools Selection and Implementation; and Project Selection, Scheduling, and Management. He has often been asked to speak on these and other software engineering topics for various groups such as the DPMA, QAI, ACM, ASM, CIPS, STSC, and EDPAA chapters and conferences. Mr. Meredith has conducted testing, project management, metrics, and estimation seminars throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and Australia.

Denis has served in several different organizations since entering the software field in 1969. He has performed a variety of work, beginning as a programmer and moving through a number of assignments of increasing responsibility, including managing teams of developers, all development, managing an organization’s data center, and information systems manager. Denis was employed by a software vendor and functioned as product manager, product support manager, and finally as regional general manager.

Mr. Meredith has been a member of IEEE Unit Test Standard, Life Cycle Process Standard, Software Productivity Metrics Standard, and CASE Tool Evaluation and Selection Standard working groups. He holds CCP, CSTE, and CQA certificates. Denis has had articles published in Data Management, Systems Development, System Builder ,and Software Quality Professional magazines and has written articles for Auerbach’s Data Processing Management series.

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Tutorial #W2 (Wednesday 8:30 - 4:30 p.m.)

This tutorial counts as one day of training towards the Certified Software Test Professional requirements.

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Web.  Along with exciting opportunities, we have impatient bosses and users, incompatible browsers, new (and buggy) tools, rapidly changing technologies, sites that tend to crash if you blink twice, eager hackers and interminable waits.  This session covers the basics of making sure that our bosses and users are not unpleasantly surprised after we say: "Yup. It's ready to go.  I'd swear my paycheck on it"

 Attendees will learn the following: 

• The Common Risks and Quality Issues of Web Sites
• How to develop a Test Plan for a Web Site
• How to Test Web Site Features, Content and Navigability
• How to Test in an Iterative, Rapid Application Development World
• How to Manage the Web Test Facilities
• How Automated Tools for Web-based Testing Work
• How to Monitor Service Levels in Live Operation
• How to Manage Deadline Pressures 

   A Framework for Testing Web-Based Applications

   Web-Based Testing and Quality Issues

   Web Site Testing Approach

   Web-based Application Testing Checklist

   Web Page Test Case Checklist 

   The Web Site Test Plan

   Test Case Design Methods

   Evaluating Test Results

   Problem Reporting, Follow-up and Re-Testing

   “Web Time”: Handling Deadline Pressures 

   Testing Features and Content

   Testing Process Flows, Navigability and Links

   Positive/Negative and Boundary Value Testing

   Risk-Based Testing

   Exploratory Testing

   Common Sources of Errors 

   Stability and Change Management

   Component Re-Use and Integration Testing

   Coordinating Development and Testing

   Change and Regression Testing

    Testing Changes

    Re-Testing Unaffected Features after Changes 

   Equipment and Facilities Needed

   Test Tools

   Test Case Libraries

   Test Processes and Support Tools 

   Functions of Automated Test Tools

   Why Automate Testing?

   Assessing Readiness for Test Automation

   Automated Test Tool Disadvantages

   Resource Impact of Automation

   Automated Tool Selector

   Load or Stress Testing Tools

   Test Data Generation Tools

   Compatibility Checking Tools

   Network Monitoring Tools

Ross Collard is a software testing consultant.  His clients have included: Amazon.com, American Express, Anheuser-Busch, Banamex, Bank of America, Baxter Healthcare, Bechtel, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Boeing, British Airways, the CIA, Ciba Geigy, Cisco, Citibank, Dell, EDS, Exxon, General Electric,  Goldman Sachs, the Federal Reserve Bank, Ford, Fijitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan, Lucent, McGraw Hill, Merck, Microsoft, Motorola, NASA, Nortel, Oracle, Procter & Gamble, Prudential, IBM, the U.S. Air Force, Worldcom and Yahoo.  Ross has taught software testing for Harvard and U.C. Berkeley. 

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